News of development

Mascherano to take up youth development role with Albiceleste

07-01-2021 15:57 36-year-old and national team legend agrees to head up a new department focused on youth development, AFA announces.

BLOOMBERG

Argentina seeking US$5 billion from multilateral banks for 2021

22-12-2020 20:41 Argentina is seeking about US$5 billion for next year from multilateral organisations other than the International Monetary Fund, reports Bloomberg.

HUNT FOR VACCINE

In historic first, UK says it will introduce Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine next week

02-12-2020 07:26 Britain on Wednesday became the first country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine for general use, announcing a rollout of Pfizer-BioNTech's jab from next week in a historic advance for humanity's fightback against the coronavirus.

HUNT FOR VACCINE

In new breakthrough, Moderna's Covid vaccine nearly 95% effective

16-11-2020 12:58 US biotech firm Moderna on Monday announced its experimental vaccine against Covid-19 was almost 95 percent effective, another major breakthrough in the quest to end the pandemic.

HUNT FOR VACCINE

Covid-19: As lab execs sell shares worth millions, questions arise

15-11-2020 09:25 Executives at several US laboratories developing Covid-19 vaccines have recently pocketed millions of dollars by selling shares in their companies – raising questions about the propriety of such a move in the midst of a global health crisis.

HUNT FOR VACCINE

Vaccine innovation sparks hope, questions

10-11-2020 16:51 Reports that one of the vaccines for Covid-19 has shown highly promising results are a ray of hope for a world in the shadow of surging virus cases.

HUNT FOR VACCINE

Argentina agrees to buy 25 million doses of Russia's Covid-19 vaccine

03-11-2020 02:16 President Fernández reveals in interview with Russian news agency that government will receive initial 10 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine by as early as December, should it clear clinical trials.

IDB Presidency

New IDB boss Claver-Carone says he'll work for all of Latin America

15-09-2020 12:40 Mauricio Claver-Carone has been voted the new president of the Inter-American Development bank, making him the first non-Latin American head of the institution.

HUNT FOR VACCINE

Oxford University and AstraZeneca resume coronavirus vaccine trial

13-09-2020 08:52 Trials of potential coronavirus vaccine officially restart, days after clincal trials were suspended following a reported side-effect in a UK patient.

inter-american development bank

Trump advisor elected new head of Inter-American Development Bank

13-09-2020 08:48 Mauricio Claver-Carone elected president of Inter-American Development Bank in vote, ending decades of Latin American leadership at institution.

inter-american development bank

Trump's candidate inches closer to victory in race to lead IDB

10-09-2020 18:35 Mauricio Claver-Carone is inching closer to becoming head of the Inter-American Development Bank, after Mexico decided to pass up a potential boycott of Saturday’s vote.

HUNT FOR VACCINE

Mexico warns setback in tests could delay AstraZeneca vaccine

09-09-2020 08:41 Latin American roll-out of AstraZeneca's potential Covid-19 vaccine could be delayed after the biotech company announced a pause in tests, says Mexican government, which will co-produce it with Argentina.

inter-american development bank

European leaders ask EU to support postponement of IDB vote

08-09-2020 17:13 Three European leaders enter debate. Vote to elect the next president of the Inter-American Development Bank is currently scheduled to take place by remote session on September 12.

IDB vote

United States 'confident' it has votes to win IDB presidency

03-09-2020 13:30 United States' controversial nomination for the Inter-American Development Bank, Mauricio Claver-Carone, has the support from all 'sub-regions' according to US official.

Bloomberg

Ex-Costa Rica president Laura Chinchilla pitches IDB top job candidacy

03-09-2020 11:56 Laura Chinchilla, former president of Costa Rica, is considered a long-shot in the race to head the Inter-American Development Bank, but is positioning herself as a moderate alternative to US President Donald Trump's nomination, Mauricio Claver-Carone.

inter-american development bank

Latin American leaders accuse Trump of "imposing" his IDB candidate

27-08-2020 18:21 Leaders from Latin America and Spain have accused Donald Trump of seeking to "impose" his candidate to head the Inter-American Development.

Global pandemic

Some countries don’t want to wait for superpowers’ vaccines

27-08-2020 14:40 The US and other superpowers have laid claim to billions of Covid vaccine doses that are nearing the finish line. That’s sparked worries that poorer countries will be left behind and shots will be slow to reach many of the world’s 7.8 billion people.

inter-american development bank

Trump’s pick for IDB top job says he wants to counter China's influence

27-08-2020 02:36 Mauricio Claver-Carone said the Washington-based bank could supplant Beijing as a go-to lender across the region at a time when Xi Jinping’s administration is pulling back.

inter-american development bank

Siding with Trump, 17 nations reject delay to vote on IDB chief

18-08-2020 23:29 Seventeen nations – including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia – release letter rejecting attempts to delay vote on next chief of Inter-American Development Bank, complicating Argentina's hopes for their own candidate.

INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

Trump's pick for IDB top job slams Argentina's 'obstruction'

15-08-2020 10:14 Claver-Carone portrays himself as a breath of fresh air for an organisation that has had just four chiefs in six decades, but his eventual presidency would also mean breaking a non-written tradition where a Latin American heads this bank.

DIPLOMACY

Trump's pick for top IDB job slams Argentina's 'obstruction'

12-08-2020 16:42 Mauricio Claver-Carone, US President Donald Trump's candidate to head the Inter-American Development Bank, claims he has the backing of the majority of Latin American countries and accuses Argentina of trying to "obstruct" his election.

BLOOMBERG - OPINION

Latin America infrastructure woes add to inequality

10-08-2020 09:25 The poorest workers and households in the region shoulder an inequitable share of the cost of ramshackle transportation, dirty water, serial power outages and patchy communications. Throw in the coronavirus pandemic, and the plight of those at the bottom is even more dire.

by Mac Margolis

BLOOMBERG

Trump hits wall with bid to place ally at Inter-American Development Bank

09-08-2020 08:08 Mexico wants to delay election of a new chief for the Inter-American Development Bank, amid controversy over US President Donald Trump’s push to have a close ally at the helm of the institution.

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Pandemic to deliver 'unprecedented' blow to tourism in Latin America, Caribbean

02-07-2020 03:21 Coronavirus pandemic to deliver "unprecedented blow" to tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank warns.

Legislative unity

Lower house approves bipartisan project to promote blood plasma donation

26-06-2020 13:50 Tensions put aside as lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies approve bipartisan bill to encourage donation of blood plasma from patients who have recovered from coronavirus.

INTERAMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

Trump expolits Latin America split to push adviser for IDB post

20-06-2020 10:54 US president taps Mauricio Claver-Carone for Inter-American Development Bank presidency, severely damaging President Alberto Fernández hopes for his adviser Gustavo Beliz’s candidacy.

Scientific breakthrough

Researchers develop therapeutic serum to treat Covid-19 patients

18-06-2020 17:58 Argentine researchers have developed a serum that could help treat coronavirus patients, according to the government.

Inter-American Development Bank

Testing tradition, Trump taps senior adviser to lead Latin bank

16-06-2020 23:00 Trump's hand-picked candidate, Mauricio Claver-Carone, looks likely to go head-to-head with Gustavo Beliz for the role, as US breaks with tradition of choosing a Latin American to lead the Inter-American Development Bank.

Vaccine development

Argentina joins the world race to develop a coronavirus vaccine

02-06-2020 13:05 Argentine scientists take first steps in developing an oral formulation to prevent infection from SARS-CoV-2. It will be the first initiative of its kind in Latin America.

by Enrique Garabetyan

Coronavirus pandemic

Argentina secures US$4-billion loan from Development Bank of Latin America

06-05-2020 17:58 The government has confirmed that it has secured a US$4-million loan from the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) to assist its efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

MINISTRY POSITIONS

Social policy collides with scandal

11-04-2020 10:42 Born in the Greater Buenos Aires district of Morón, Social Development Minister Daniel Fernando Arroyo has made social policy his exclusive focus since starting his university studies (UBA) more than three decades ago.

by Michael Soltys

LATAM & THE PANDEMIC

IDB: Latin America’s GDP could slump by 5.5% this year

11-04-2020 09:50 Argentina’s economy will shrink between five and seven percent, according to predictions, compared to projections of a 1.5% drop before the Covid-19 outbreak.

Food-purchase scandal

Government under fire for overpaying on food purchases

07-04-2020 17:12 Social Development Minister Daniel Arroyo asks official responsible for overpaying for foodstuffs to resign, amid fierce criticism from opposition.

Bloomberg

Brazil, Argentina compete Inter-American development bank top job

04-03-2020 16:50 Brazil is pushing for its own candidates to lead the Inter-American development bank, competing with Argentina; a decision will likely come between July and September.

Bloomberg

Top Trump official eyed for Inter-American Development Bank

17-02-2020 08:08 Mauricio Claver-Carone, the senior director of the NSC for Western Hemisphere Affairs, is being considered for the executive vice-president’s job at the IDB, according to reports.

Bloomberg

US to prioritise Brazil over Argentina in OECD reversal

15-01-2020 09:06 Washington to tell OECD officials that US now prioritises Brazil's bid for membership, rather than Argentina's.

ARGENTINE PONTIFF

Pope demands tech companies prevent kids from viewing porn

14-11-2019 12:45 Pope says tech companies should assume a moral responsibility to protect young people from what he said were the ruinous effects of pornography on their emotional and sexual development.

AS I SEE IT

Development is no longer what it used to be

26-10-2019 13:01 To avoid getting left behind, countries whether big or small have no choice but to do whatever they can to encourage not only the outlandishly talented but also the many who can help them achieve their goals.

by James Neilson

BLOOMBERG

US turns down Brazil’s OECD bid, despite having endorsed it

10-10-2019 12:27 US government decides not to endorse Brazil’s bid to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, marking a reversal after months of public support from top officials. However, Washington indicates it does support membership claims from Argentina and Romania.

PAYMENTS

Difficult to find 'quick path forward' for Argentina, says IMF

26-09-2019 15:21 IMF officials refused to say Thursday when it will disburse last US$5.4 billion of loan to Argentina that was originally planned for mid-September, as reports suggest World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank may also delay payments.

Global economic outlook

OECD: Trade tensions slam brakes on global economy

19-09-2019 09:41 In an update to its economic forecasts from May, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development cuts global growth forecast for year to 2.9%, predicts 2.7% contraction for Argentina.

FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Low-profile flow of funds: Inter-American Development Bank and Argentina

14-09-2019 00:41 The world’s biggest regional development bank, the BID is unusually homogenous for an international organisation with only four official languages and four presidents over its six decades.

by Michael Soltys